A new ranking by Which? has identified the least healthy savoury snacks available in British supermarkets, with Jacob's Mini Cheddars Original taking the bottom spot. The consumer group analysed over 60 popular products, including Walkers crisps and so-called healthy alternatives like lentil and quinoa chips, revealing that many fall short of nutritional standards.
Government Nutrient Profiling Model Scores
The investigation used the government's Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM), which scores foods based on their content of salt, saturated fat, sugar, and fibre. More than half of the products failed this official scoring system. Jacob's Mini Cheddars Original scored just 20 out of 100, containing 14.4g of saturated fat per 100g—far higher than the top-ranking Kettle Chips lightly salted, which has only 2g per 100g. Mini Cheddars also have high salt levels (2.4g per 100g) and low fibre (2.6g per 100g), outweighing their protein content of 10.3g per 100g.
'Health Halo' Snacks Disappoint
Some products marketed as healthier options also performed poorly. Proper Chips barbecue lentil chips scored only 36 out of 100, tying with Skips and Wotsits Really Cheesy. Despite claiming to be better for consumers, these lentil chips contain 2.55g of salt per 100g and just 0.7g of fibre—the lowest in the dataset. Pom-Bear Original, a common children's snack, received an NPM score of 54, offering minimal nutritional benefit with virtually no fibre (0.8g) and high calorie density.
Other Low-Scoring Snacks
The audit also flagged Skips, Cheesy Wotsits, Frazzles, Quavers Cheesy, Monster Munch (roast beef and sweet & spicy), McCoys salt & malt vinegar, and Hula Hoops Original Salted as failing the NPM. In contrast, Walkers Sensations flavours such as balsamic vinegar and caramelised onion and Thai sweet chilli scored surprisingly well.
Expert Commentary
Shefalee Loth, nutritionist at Which?, stated: 'We all know crisps aren't the healthiest snack, but our audit shows some can be a much healthier option than others. However, it is concerning to see that many childhood favourites are actually some of the least healthy options on the shelf.' She urged shoppers to check front-of-pack traffic light labels, but noted the system is voluntary, leaving consumers in the dark. Which? is calling on the government to make traffic light labelling mandatory for all food and drink products.
Full Ranking of Least Healthy Snacks
The complete list from worst to best includes: Mini Cheddars Original, Proper Chips Barbecue Lentil Chips, Skips, Wotsits Really Cheesy, Frazzles Crispy Bacon, Quavers Cheese, Bugles Southern Style BBQ, Proper Chips Sea Salt Lentil Chips, Wotsits Sweet & Spicy, Monster Munch Roast Beef, Monster Munch Sweet & Spicy flamin' hot, Walkers Salt & Shake, McCoy's Salt & Malt vinegar ridge cut, Monster Munch Pickled Onion, Wheat Crunchies crispy bacon, Hula Hoops Original Salted, Eat Real Lentil Chips (salted), Eat Real Quinoa Chips (sour cream & chopped chive), Eat Real Quinoa Chips (sundried tomato & roasted garlic), Eat Real Veggie Straws (tomato, kale & spinach), French Fries Ready Salted, Kettle Chips (sea salt & balsamic vinegar), French Fries Cheese & Onion, McCoy's Sizzling King Prawn ridge cut, Tyrrells Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar crisps, Kettle Chips (sea salt with black peppercorns), Squares (cheese & onion), Squares (salt & vinegar), Walkers Glorious cheese & onion crisps, Walkers Legendary Ready Salted, Pom-Bear Original, Pringles Original, Pringles Texas BBQ Sauce, Tyrrells Veg Crisps (balsamic vinegar & sea salt), Tyrrells Veg Crisps (parsnip, carrot & beetroot with sea salt), M&S Vegetable Crisps (sweet potato, parsnip & beetroot), Pringles Sour Cream & Onion, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Mixed Root Vegetables crisps, Tesco Finest Root Vegetable with Sea Salt crisps, Walkers Crispy Roast Chicken, Walkers Seriously Salt & Vinegar, Walkers Supreme Prawn Cocktail, Eat Real Hummus Chips sea salt, Eat Real Hummus Chips with sour cream & chopped chive, M&S Honey Barbecue Flavour Lentil Chips, M&S Sriracha Flavour Lentil Chips, Popchips Barbecue, Popchips Sea Salt, Popchips sour cream & onion, Walkers Lightly Salt & Vinegar, Walkers Oven Baked salt & vinegar, Walkers Oven Baked sea salt, Walkers Sizzling Smoky Bacon, Simply Roasted Sour Cream & Chive crisps, Walkers Sensations Thai sweet chilli, Simply Roasted Sea Salt crisps, Sunbites sour cream & pepper, Sunbites sun ripened sweet chilli, Twiglets, Walkers Sensations Balsamic vinegar and caramelised onion, Holland & Barrett carrot & beetroot chips, Simply Roasted sea salt & cider vinegar crisps, Tyrrells Lentil Crisps sour cream & onion, Tyrrells Lentil Sweet Chilli & Red Pepper, Kettle Chips lightly salted.
